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City looks to land swap to help with trail

August 20th, 2013 - 5:43am

(Port Angeles) -- The city of Port Angeles is looking to swap a piece of land it already owns for three new parcels.

Tonight, the city council takes up the proposal to declare a half-acre piece of property off south Cherry Street surplus and sell it. That sale would actually be an exchange for about two acres of property along Peabody Creek between Third and Fifth Streets.

The state Department of Natural Resources conveyed the Cherry Street property to the city a decade ago, to be used for recreational purposes.

But city officials say they can't use the property for that purpose because it is also being used as an access point for the nearby Lloyd Allen-estate property. That access point has been used there for nearly 50 years.

The city would instead use the new property along Peabody Creek for open space and recreational purposes.

Under the deal, the city would convey the Cherry Street property to the Allen estate. The Allen estate would then negotiate the purchase of the parcels along Peabody Creek and convey them to the city. Ultimately, the city may use that property to develop a trail from downtown to Olympic National Park.